On February 25th, the Department of Homeland Security in the United States announced that there will be no immigration enforcement actions at polling places during this year’s midterm elections. There were rumors circulating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers would be present at polling locations.
During a virtual briefing session involving the Federal Election Assistance Commission and other agencies with the participation of state election officials, officials from the Department of Homeland Security denied the rumors.
Adrian Fontes, the Secretary of State of Arizona who attended the meeting, revealed that during the meeting, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber asked whether states would be informed about immigration enforcement actions at polling places. Heather Honey, the Deputy Assistant Secretary responsible for election integrity at the Department of Homeland Security, stated, “Any claims about ICE appearing at polling places are completely false.”
Previously, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows of Maine stated in a briefing that it would be unconstitutional if the Trump administration deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling stations.
However, a Department of Homeland Security official told Reuters that if there is a “public safety threat in progress” at a polling place, ICE may be requested to be present at that location. The official stated that if dangerous individuals appear at a polling station, law enforcement officers must arrest them.
The United States will hold midterm elections for governors, Congress, and other positions on November 3rd. Primary elections will begin in March to determine the candidates for each political party.
(This article referenced reports from Reuters)